Static seals to connect piping portions in fluid handling systems are provided by a wide variety of sealing systems and assemblies. One of the most common seals used in piping systems is a gasket disposed between two mating surfaces or flanges, wherein each of two piping sections has a mating surface, and the mating surfaces are forced together axially against the gasket to form a seal. The axial sealing force can be provided by bolts, clamps, split rings, and threaded compression fittings. Gaskets can be fabricated from a wide range of materials including metals, polymeric elastomers, natural materials, and various combinations thereof. Numerous gasket configurations are possible such as, for example, flat sheet, ridged, grooved, spiral wound, spring finger, and toroidal ring.
In many applications, gasket seals operate for long periods of time after initial assembly, and are usually disassembled only for regular maintenance and possible replacement. In other applications, gasket seals are assembled and disassembled on a regular basis as part of ongoing operations. One such application is a gas supply operating system in which pressurized gas cylinders are connected to a piping system that delivers product gas to an end user. Empty cylinders are replaced with full cylinders on a regular basis, and each replacement step requires the disassembly and assembly of a gasket seal between the cylinder and the gas delivery piping system. The cyclic assembly and disassembly of the gasket seal can degrade the gasket and cause leaks, thereby requiring replacement of the gasket.
There is a need in fluid piping systems in general, and in compressed gas supply systems in particular, for improved gaskets that can be used in operations requiring frequent assembly and disassembly. This need is addressed by the embodiments of the present invention as described below and defined by the claims that follow.